MHA Rewrite: Plus Ultra

Besides the specialized curriculum of the Hero Course, U.A. is still a regular high school. Present Mic points dramatically at the board. “Which of these English sentences are wrong?!” Izuku’s hand shoots up. “Midoriya!” Izuku stands. “The relative pronoun is in the wrong place in sentence four!” he answers in fluent English. Present Mic grins. “Correct!” Izuku doesn’t sit. Instead, he keeps speaking—still in perfect English. “Can you please describe your Quirk to me?” Present Mic immediately gives a thumbs up. “OK!” Beside him, Iida exhales slowly, pinching the bridge of his nose and shaking his head.  “Tch.” Bakugo crosses his arms and turns his body slightly to the side in his seat. Not only are the classes better, but the food is too! The cafeteria line moves quickly. Izuku and Uraraka reach the front together. Uraraka stares at her tray. “Waah! This looks expensive!” Izuku leans over, eyes wide. “Right?! It looks like something from a gourmet restaurant!” Uraraka nods repeatedly, “Mm, mm!”, the pair of them practically drooling. “And it’s so cheap!” Behind the counter, the hero Lunch Rush chuckles softly as he finishes serving them. “White rice is a wonderful comfort food, isn’t it?” Behind them, Iida adjusts his glasses tiredly. “Please do not obstruct the line once you have received your food…” And my classmates too! Carrying their trays, Izuku, Uraraka, and Iida scan the cafeteria for a place to sit. At a nearby table, Mina is seated with Kaminari, Jiro, Kirishima, Sato, Momo, Asui, and Hagakure Toru. Mina spots them. Her face lights up. She pops up from her seat and leans over the table, waving enthusiastically. “Deku! Over here!” Izuku brightens immediately and heads toward them. Behind him, Uraraka follows with a smile. Iida keeps pace, adjusting his glasses. Jiro rolls her eyes as Izuku eagerly joins the table. But none of that matters. Because in the afternoon… the real classes begin. Inside the classroom, students chat among themselves. Then the door slides open. A large hand appears in the doorway. “I am—” Midoriya glances over. He already looks unimpressed. “Eh…?” The rest of the class turns. The door swings open. All Might steps inside. “—coming through the door like a normal person!” The classroom erupts. “It’s All Might!” Kaminari nearly jumps out of his seat. “All Might?!” Kirishima grins. “Whoa! He really is a teacher!” Asui smiles. “That’s a costume from the Silver Age, isn’t it?” Ojiro Mashirao nods. “The style is so different… it’s giving me goosebumps.” All Might stands proudly at the front of the classroom, hands planted on his hips. “I teach Hero Basic Training!” he declares. “This subject will cover many different types of training to help you learn the fundamentals of being a hero.” He grins broadly. “You’ll be spending the most time in this class!” He claps his hands once. “So let’s get right into it! Today’s lesson—combat training!” Across the room, Bakugo’s grin sharpens. At the same moment, Izuku smiles with determination. They both speak at the exact same time. “Finally!” All Might suddenly produces a stack of containers. “And to go with that—these!” He gestures dramatically. “Your hero costumes! Designed based on your Quirk registrations and the requests you submitted before school started!” The class lights up. “Whoa!” “Seriously?!” Izuku visibly cringes. “Costumes…” All Might raises a fist enthusiastically. “After you change, gather at Ground Beta!” “YES SENSEI!” ••• Scene: Ground Beta. Class 1-A students emerge from the building in their hero costumes. Some adjust gloves. Others tug at capes or stretch their arms, testing the fit. All Might stands before them, hands planted proudly on his hips. “They say the clothes make the man, young men and young ladies.” His smile widens. “Be fully aware that from now on…” He gestures broadly toward them. “…you are heroes!” He looks across the group approvingly. “That’s great! You all look cool!” Then he claps his hands once. “Now then…” His grin turns sharp. “Shall we begin, you zygotes?” Izuku fidgets.  The clothing allowance. Before enrolling at U.A., we had to submit our Quirk registrations, physical measurements, and desired costume designs so that a support company under contract with the school could prepare state-of-the-art equipment for us.  It’s a wonderful system. But… … Three weeks earlier. Midoriya residence. Izuku sits at the table surrounded by paperwork. He stares at one particular line. Quirk Registration. He frowns worriedly. I need to go to city hall to update my Quirk registration for the clothing allowance… Izuku grips his hair. But I'm already registered as “none”! What should I do…?! He grabs his phone and calls Toshinori. “Toshinori-san! About Quirk registration—” “Oh, that?” Toshinori replies casually through the phone. “You can update it.” Izuku bolts upright. “Really?!” “Yeah. Basically, everyone gets examined and registered when they enter elementary school and junior high, right? But sometimes people discover their Quirks aren’t exactly what they thought they were.” A pause. “So they allow updates once or twice. They won’t accept outrageous changes, but if you previously had ‘none’, you’re probably fine.” The front door opens. “I’m home!” Inko calls. Izuku jolts. “Oh!” His phone slips in his hand. Izuku lunges to catch it, fumbling as it bounces between his palms. He finally grabs it— —and accidentally hits the “hang up” button. “Ah.” On the other end—  “And by ‘probably’, I mean I’m sure—” The call disconnects. Izuku slowly lowers the phone. “Ah… sorry, Toshinori-san…” He sets it on the table and quickly heads for the entryway. “Welcome home!” he calls. “Sorry, Mom—dinner’s almost ready!” He turns toward the kitchen. “That’s fine—” Inko begins. Then she brightens. “Oh! Izuku! I got you a present!” Izuku stops and turns back. “A present?” He walks over to her, curious. Inko reaches into the bag she’s carrying. “I know it might seem like I haven’t been supportive of your dream, Izuku, but…” She pulls something out. A jumpsuit. She beams. “Ta-dah!” Izuku looks at the costume. He visibly cringes. Then he forces an awkward smile. “Oh…! Mom…! You shouldn’t have…!” He takes it and examines it. “I-I know it’s not much as it is now,” Inko says nervously. “And maybe your classmates will have better costumes, but—” “Ah, Mom, don’t worry about that,” Izuku quickly interjects. “It’s great!” Inko chuckles sheepishly. “Really? I’m glad! I might have… peeked at your notebook when you were dozing off while studying… It looks familiar, right?”  Izuku’s smile stiffens. Ahh… so that explains it. I really should have burned those pages…! Inko looks down, regret flickering across her face. “That terrible thing I said… it kept bothering me.” She exhales softly. “I gave up back then.” She looks back up at him. “But you didn’t, did you? You kept chasing your dream…” Her expression softens into a playful frown. “…even if it meant lying to me.” Izuku chuckles sheepishly. Inko smiles and gently takes his hands. “I’m sorry, Izuku.” Her grip tightens slightly. “From now on, I’ll support you with everything I’ve got!” Izuku’s expression softens. “Mom…” … [Scene: Present — outside Ground Beta.] Izuku runs toward the entrance. His costume rustles with each step. ••• Izuku pulls on the green jumpsuit. These are my mother's feelings. He fastens the belt. Why wouldn’t I wear this? He slides on the gloves and tightens his fist. Even if it’s not the most convenient… or the most advanced… He lifts the mask. A brief hesitation. Who cares if it’s embarrassing? He pulls it on. This is my costume! ••• Izuku pushes through the entrance to Ground Beta, emerging from the tunnel. “Oh, Deku!” Izuku turns. “Uraraka! You recognized me…” Uraraka steps closer, examining his costume. “So cute!” Izuku blushes, his bunny ears stiffening upright. “Ah…” He scratches the back of his head—even though the mask covers it. “And cool too!” Uraraka adds with a grin. “It’s really down-to-earth.” Then she pouts. “I should’ve written what I wanted…” She tugs awkwardly at her costume. “Mine ended up being a skintight bodysuit. It’s embarrassing…” Izuku looks at her suit. He lingers for a moment longer than he should. Then his eyes jerk away. “Y-yeah… embarrassing…” At least it’s lightweight material… Behind them, Mineta stares openly at Uraraka, completely unabashed. “Hm,” he murmurs thoughtfully. “The hero course really is the best…” When Izuku turns, he catches All Might looking at him. All Might tilts his head slightly. “Hmm?” Izuku’s stomach drops. Oh great… he saw… Izuku quickly turns away, frowning as he tries to pull the bunny ears down, which suspiciously looks a lot like All Might’s hair. They refuse to cooperate. Behind him, he can practically feel All Might staring. In his mind’s eye, All Might stands there with his signature smile… while a ghostly image of Toshinori floats beside him, coughing up blood and cackling, pointing at him.  “It’s so obvious!” All Might raises a hand dramatically. “Now, it’s time for combat training!” A hand shoots up. “Sensei!” All Might turns. “Yes, Young Iida?” Izuku glances at him. Oh wow… that’s a great costume design. His eyes move over the armor. But practically speaking… why use polished alloy plating for the exterior? Wouldn’t— His thoughts immediately spiral into analysis. Iida speaks before Izuku finishes mentally dissecting the suit. “If I recall correctly, this is the same battle center used during the entrance exam.” He lowers his arm. “Will we be conducting urban battles again?” All Might chuckles. “No! We’re moving two steps ahead!” He breaks into a light jog, and the students follow as he leads them toward a large building. “Most of the time, you see heroes fighting villains out in the open,” All Might continues. “But if you look at the numbers, truly dangerous villains appear indoors far more often!” Izuku’s eyes sharpen. That’s true… The statistic surfaces instantly in his mind. Approximately seventy percent of villain-related incidents occur in enclosed environments. Most criminals avoid outdoor confrontations: too many variables—heroes, police, civilians… His thoughts keep racing. Not to mention: illegal deals… hostage situations… domestic abuse… All Might slows to a stop in front of the building. “Imprisonment. House arrest. Backroom deals…” He clears his throat. “In a society filled with heroes…” His grin widens, his eyes sharpen. “…truly intelligent villains hide in the shadows!” He turns to the class. “For this exercise, you’ll split into villains and heroes!” A thumb hooks toward the building behind him. “You’ll conduct two-on-two indoor battles!” A hand rises. Asui. “Without basic training?” All Might nods confidently. “An excellent question! You see, this exercise will allow you to—” Another hand goes up. Momo. “All Might-sensei, how will wins and losses be determined?” “All in good time!” All Might replies, raising a finger. “First, allow me to explain the premise—” Bakugo grins lazily. “In real life, it’s when one of them dies, right?” All Might chokes on his next word. “Wha—?! Absolutely not! Young Bakugo, I—” Uraraka suddenly bounces up with her hand raised. “Will the punishment be expulsion like with Aizawa-sensei?” “Expulsion?!” All Might sputters. “Of course not! That was simply Aizawa’s—” Iida’s hand shoots up. “How shall the teams be divided?” “All in due time!” All Might insists, lifting both hands now. Beside them, Aoyama dramatically throws back his cape. “Isn’t my cape magnifique?” All Might freezes. His smile twitches. He glances at Izuku. Izuku is smirking, shoulders shaking slightly as he struggles not to laugh. “…Yes. Very.” All Might quickly pulls out a sheet of paper. “Everyone! Listen here.” He taps the paper with his knuckles and clears his throat. He glances down and begins to read. “The situation is that the villains have hidden a nuclear weapon somewhere in their hideout.” He pauses, scanning the page. “The heroes are attempting to dispose of it.” Another glance at the script. “The heroes must either capture the villains or retrieve the nuclear weapon within the allotted time.” He shifts the paper slightly. “The villains must protect the nuclear weapon until time runs out—” He squints and brings the page closer to his eyes. “…Is this right…? Ah, yes!” He straightens the paper and continues. “—or capture the heroes.” Izuku nods slightly. Ah… so we’re in America… All Might rolls the script in one hand and casually crushes it, leaving not even a scrap. “Teams and opponents will be determined by drawing lots!” Iida raises his hand. “All Might-sensei, is there a particular reason the teams are being decided so… haphazardly?” Izuku answers before All Might can. “Pros often have to form makeshift teams with heroes from other agencies,” he says. “So that’s probably why...” Iida pauses. “I see.” He bows slightly. “The discernment to look ahead… Forgive me for my rudeness.” All Might waves a hand. “It’s fine!” He produces a bundle of sticks. “Now then! Let’s do this quickly!” The students draw their lots and split into teams. Uraraka checks her stick. Then her face lights up. “Deku! It must be fate!” She pumps a fist. “I’m counting on you!” Izuku nods shyly. “Mm…” His mind is already racing. Zero gravity… indoors. If I throw her— She can restrain them midair. Control the strength. Egg. All Might raises the lots. “Team A: Midoriya and Uraraka! Heroes!” He checks the next slip. “Team D: Bakugo and Iida! Villains!” A ripple moves through the class. Bakugo’s eyes sharpen as they lock onto Izuku. Across from him, Izuku is already murmuring under his breath. “Not a bad team composition… Bakugo I can deal with… Iida—” Bakugo’s jaw tightens. His teeth grind audibly. All Might raises a hand. “Team A and Team D will battle first! Everyone else, head to the monitor room!” “Yes, sensei!” The class begins shuffling toward the building. Izuku is still murmuring to himself when someone taps his shoulder. He turns. Mina grins at him. “Chance for revenge?” she says, winking. Before he can answer, she jogs off to join the others. Izuku watches her go… then looks ahead. Bakugo is staring at him. A slow smirk spreads across his face. He raises a finger and drags it across his own throat. Izuku doesn’t react. He doesn’t look intimidated. He simply watches him. Bakugo’s smirk fades. A faint frown replaces it. All Might raises a hand. “Villain team, go in first and set up! In five minutes, the hero team will break in, and the battle will begin!” Uraraka straightens. “Yes, sensei!” All Might turns to the other pair. “Young Iida. Young Bakugo. Learn to think from the perspective of villains. This is pretty close to a real battle.” Iida nods. “Yes, sensei.” “Go all out,” All Might continues. “Don’t be afraid to get hurt.” A pause. “If things go too far, I will stop it.” He gives Bakugo a pointed look. Bakugo scoffs. “Tch.” Iida bows slightly. “Understood.” Bakugo and Iida turn and enter the building to prepare. … The room is bare except for a large nuclear warhead sitting in the center. Iida studies the space thoughtfully. “It is disadvantageous for us to face Midoriya directly from the start…” He reaches out and taps the warhead. His thoughts pause. Paper mache…? He withdraws his hand. “…But I suppose villains are often at a disadvantage.” “Four-Eyes.” Iida turns, ready to protest the nickname— —but stops. Bakugo isn’t looking at him. He stands facing the doorway, body angled forward like a coiled spring. His eyes are locked on the entrance. “Focus on the girl,” Bakugo says. “Deku’s mine.” He doesn’t move. He simply stares at the doorway, as if expecting Izuku to burst through it at any moment. Under his breath, he mutters: “Time for me to remind him of his place…” Iida pauses. Something about Bakugo’s posture catches his attention.  The slight tremor running through his body. … Izuku and Uraraka wait outside the building, studying the floor plans. Uraraka sighs. “It’s a lot of work memorizing this whole building layout, dontcha think?” She glances toward the entrance. “But All Might is just like he is on TV! And unlike Aizawa-sensei, it looks like there’s no punishment waiting for us, so we can relax and—” She pauses. “…Deku?” Izuku stops murmuring to himself. He looks up at her. “Hm?” Uraraka hesitates. “Are you… nervous at all? Iida is one thing, but Bakugo…” Izuku shakes his head. “There’s nothing to worry about.” A small smile appears on his face. “If things go according to plan, this will be an easy victory.” He taps the blueprint. “Here’s the plan…” Uraraka smiles and leans in, listening intently. … All Might’s voice echoes through the speakers. “Now! Let’s begin the indoor person-to-person combat training between Team A and Team D!” In the monitor room, he turns to the watching students. “Everyone, observe carefully! You should all be thinking as well!” Inside, his thoughts are quieter. Alright, kid. Here, you’re just another student. I’ll grade you strictly. No favoritism. Let’s see how you handle your bully. … Outside the building— Izuku and Uraraka slip through a window and enter quietly. Uraraka whispers excitedly. “Infiltration successful!” Izuku smiles faintly. “There are a lot of blind spots in this building,” he says quietly. “Stay alert.” His smile fades as his eyes sweep the hallway. Where are you, Kacchan…? The two of them move deeper into the building, careful and quiet. Kacchan will definitely break off from Iida to fight me one-on-one, leaving Iida alone with the nuke. Kacchan’s too arrogant to do anything else. His gaze sharpens. He probably wants to “remind me of my place.” Izuku exhales quietly. But I know all his move patterns. A fact he still doesn’t seem to understand. His fingers tighten slightly. When he comes… a quick, decisive battle. Then, Iida-kun. Suddenly— An explosion tears through the hallway. Bakugo rockets forward. “DEKUUUUU!” Izuku turns immediately. “Uraraka!” Uraraka nods and pivots, preparing to run. Izuku braces himself to intercept Bakugo— Then— The roar of engines. Izuku’s head snaps to the side. Iida blasts past him in a blur. Iida—?! Uraraka gasps. Before she can react, Iida’s arms wrap around her, pinning her in place. She screams in surprise. Izuku freezes. Hostage—?! Bakugo lands a few meters in front of him, smoke curling from his palms. A slow smirk spreads across his face. Izuku stares in horror. I miscalculated!!! Iida doesn’t move. Forgive me, Midoriya-kun… His gaze hardens as he tightens Uraraka in his hold. But I will not allow you to win!